Best Way to Build Portfolio?

[Joey-Austin]

Hello Alpha Family,

These days I hear a lot of Photographers advise new Photographers to not work for free, but how will they build their portfolio?

When I first started, I did a bunch of TFP and did some second shooters on events and weddings to build a portfolio, because people will want to see your work before hiring you

[CarolineJensen]

I think that working for free really depends on how much it benefits you. A portfolio is a must, so getting that is necessary, one way or another. I don't think shooting for free is terrible. You just have to make  sure that your free offerings don't trickle into the rest of your career! I still get people who want free shoots because I gave them free shoots ten years ago. 🙂 

[Joey-Austin]

I agree that the ones you will do the free photoshoot to will ask for free ones in the future, but it’s a good way to start and practice, no matter how much videos you watch about photography nothing like go out and shoot, and agree once you build a portfolio, you need to charge enough to cover your equipment and shooting time and editing time

[IraBlock]

You need to do work on your own and personal work to create a body of photos that represent your style and look. You can do this on your own and keep it separate from your 'business' side. It is a bad precedent to work for free.

[Joey-Austin]

I’m not saying put on your website that you work for free, but to work with friends and family members and some TFP on the side, the issue I faced with wedding they always ask to see your work, if you never shot a wedding you have nothing to show, and if you have nothing to show you will not get hired to do a wedding, so doing some second shooter and build some portfolio help getting more jobs